Banbury United faced a challenging test away at a Bishops Cleeve side in strong pre-season form. The hosts took the lead with a close-range finish in the 11th minute and doubled their advantage through a second-half penalty (84'), securing a 2-0 win.

Despite the result, the Puritans showed encouraging signs in the opening ten minutes, creating several efforts on goal before falling behind to a scrappy finish. In the second half, Kelvin Langmead's side pushed hard for an equaliser, with numerous attempts cleared off the line, before Bishops Cleeve added a late second from the spot.

Bishops Cleeve have made a strong start to pre-season, registering a 4-2 win against Gloucester City, a 1-0 victory over Stratford Town, and a 5-2 result against Longlevens.

While the result wasn’t ideal, the match provided important minutes for the squad and a valuable opportunity to assess trialists in a competitive setting.

The Puritans continue their pre-season away at Easington Sports on Tuesday, July 22nd (KO 19:30), before returning to the Spencer Stadium, powered by Egg, to face Solihull Moors on Saturday, July 26th (KO 15:00).

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